Storm Brewing
by Xerxez-Tha-Ferret
Summary: After being stuck on Earth for six years, Zim gives into his feelings for Dib and tries to make him his mate, but it seems that there are obstacles in his way. Sorry, bad summary.
1. Complications

Well, well, well. It seems that I have returned to the world of fanfiction after what seems to be an eternity in hiatus (which is actually true in a sense) but, I have returned and plan on updating in a timely manner (as long as my schedule permits it).

But moving on, I have a new fanfiction that I have been working on for the past 3 years and it is nowhere near what I call the perfect fanfiction, but I made it and I want to present it to you guys. Soooo, enjoy!

Chapter One: Complications

Dib stared blankly at the assignment on his desk, still slightly in shock at the subject matter, even more so at the name of his partner for the next two weeks.

Let's rewind back about ten minutes.

Dib rushed into the classroom just as the second bell rang. His teacher, Mr. Balding, looked up at him with a sneer.

"Well, it's nice to see you actually make it to class on time for once, Dib. I guess today Zim wasn't pestering you as usual, huh?"

Dib flustered as barely concealed snickers echoed throughout the classroom.

"Perhaps you should take your seat now, Dib, so I can begin the lesson?"

Sulking, Dib made his way to the back of the classroom and sat down.

"Now, that everyone's here, I have an announcement to make. We have a new, fairly easy project that requires two people to work together, but since the female to male ration of this class is uneven, two males are going to have to work together on this project."

Dib's throat constricted as Mr. Balding looked at him when he said 'two males'.

"Now I know how tedious the partner picking process can be, so I've done you all a favor and picked your partner for you!"

Cue class wide groans.

"This packet will give you all the information on the project, including the name of your partner."

Dib stared down at his paper, already knowing who his partner was, but the initial shock and dread still came.

In bold, green letters across the cover read 'Zim', right beside the title that read 'Caring for your young'

So here was the situation. He, Dib, was partnered with Zim in a project that required them to care for an egg-baby thing for the next two weeks.

Two weeks. Fourteen days. Three hundred and thirty-six hours. Spent together with Zim.

Might as well ask for an F now and get it over with.

"Hello, Dib-love."

He groaned inwardly and growled outwardly as Zim's voice purred in his ear. He pulled away from the hand that settled on his.

It happened like this every day! Zim would be a pervert, he would punch him, and then they both would end up in detention…or the hospital, depending on the situation. It was almost becoming a chore, like cleaning the hall or washing the chalkboard, or chasing down the mutant pig that had gotten loose in his dad's lab.

No, today would be different. He was not going to react to Zim's advances. He would not hurt Zim in anyway way today. He breathed deeply and tried to set himself in a peaceful mind frame.

He felt a hand slide slowly up his thigh….not paying attention to that…up further….nothing would destroy his state of mind….on the waistband of his jeans.

Zim grinned at him from where he sat across from him in the nurse's office, sporting a black eye and a sprained wrist, holding a water-proof icepack in his gloved hands. Dib huffed and slid down in his chair, glaring at the wall to take his mind off the alien sitting across from and all the violent things he wanted to do to him.

That was another thing that bothered him, Zim never fought back anymore. Before, when they were younger, Zim would always fight back valiantly, causing more than just a black or sore stomach for the both of them. Now, he just sat back and let it happen.

It was starting to get annoying.

Dib was pulled from his thoughts when the nurse returned carrying a detention slip for the both of them. She frowned, her southern accent echoing in the small room.

"This is getting' real old fellas. This is the fifth time this month and it's not even the fifteenth of April yet!"

She pulled out another pair of slips and handed them out.

"These are fer tha counselin' office, and believe me, ya'll need some counselin'. I expect ya'll to get down there sometime tomorrow, am I clear?"

Dib frowned and stared at the pink slip of paper, planning to just toss it in the nearest trash can out of sight. The nurse tapped her foot, waiting for a response. Dib cleared his throat.

"Crystal, Nurse Liz."

Dib walked home with a never-ending sigh passing through his lips. Today really could've gotten better, he really needed to control his temper, but when it came to Zim a fuse in his mind would burst. He gripped the straps on his back pack and glared at nothing in particular.

"What's with the long face, Dib-love? You should be happy to be paired with the greatness that-err, I mean, that we get to spend the next two weeks together-"

He leaned in closer.

"-in the same house. Alone."

Dib pushed him away and scowled.

"First of all, we will NOT be together in the same house, and second, I will NEVER be alone with you!"

"We're alone now."

Dib took this moment to look around wildly. There was no one on the streets, in the yards, or on the sidewalk. Even the lights were off in the houses. Dib swallowed thickly, this had to be his mind playing a trick on him.

"Get out of my way, snot-head."

Dib jumped, before letting out a sigh of relief, while it was Zim's turn to scowl.

"Gaz! What took you so long?"

"What's it to you?"

"Well, I- uh- forgot my keys!"

Gaz creaked open one eye and stared Dib down.

"Whatever, I'm not going to wait for you, so hurry up and make up with your boyfriend."

Dib sputter indignantly, watching as Gaz left. He gave Zim one last glare before running to catch up with his sister. Zim frowned and turned the other way towards his base.

Zim sat at his telecommunication monitor, dreading every second the loading bar filled. He sat up straighter as the screen went blank then filled out to show the interior of a simple voot cruiser. A pair of scrutinizing red eyes looked back at him.

"Nice to see you've finally decided to report for today, Zim."

Zim resisted the urge to scowl and merely saluted his tallest.

"The earthlings skool let out late today, my tallest."

"Very well, you are forgiven. Are the preparations complete?"

Zim sighed inwardly, the same question for the past four weeks. It was getting tedious.

"Yes, my tallest."

"Very good, we will be arriving in two of your earth weeks, Zim. Oh, and Zim?"

"Yes, my tallest?"

Red leaned closer to the screen to look directly in to Zim's eyes.

"Interspecies relationships are punishable by death, understood?"

Zim shrunk in his chair, but held eye contact. He would not back away from what he wanted.

"Yes, o-of course, my tallest."

Red leaned back and grinned as though he had shot a group of short irkens through the airlock.

"Good, glad that we understand each other. You are dismissed."

The screen fizzed out to a glittering black. Zim gripped both antenna and tug violently in nervousness.

"They're spying on me again."

He went quickly to the private chamber he had prepared for the tallest arrival.

'It's been over six years since they banished me here to rot on this hideous planet and now they expect me to let me to let them stay here while they're under attack! They can all die for all I care."

His antenna twitched nervously, still not accustomed to saying such things that were against the empire. He wiped a speck of dust off a glass armoire and scowled. Keeping maintenance for a room was not on the top of his list right now. He touched the still swollen side of his face that Dib had punched earlier and grinned.

Maybe these next two weeks wouldn't be as bad as he thought they would be.


	2. Massive Conflictions

AN: Kinda short. Only meant to show the Tallests predicament and the reason why they are on their way to Earth and to torture Zim. Poor Zimmy, he sucks at acting nonchalant. Also Unbeta'd so if you spot any mistakes be sure to let me know so I can fix them.

P.S. You'll never guess who the villain (or hero, depends on what side you're on) is! Muawahaha!

P.S.S Thanks very much for the reviews, they make me happy in my tummy.

Disclaimer (You already know who owns this show but bear with me): I do not own Invader Zim.

Chapter Two: Massive Conflictions

Red ended the connection with a grimace; he couldn't stand speaking to Zim through a communicator; so spending two of Irks lunar cycles with the little defect was not something he could stomach. Well, at least he could torture him while he was there. Maybe he would even catch the eye of his would be life mate.

He sighed away the thoughts and rubbed one eye wearily. He had been steering for over 400 par sects since the autopilot had blew its circuits halfway past the Vortian belt. He cracked his already swollen finger joints and gripped the battered steering wheel, cursing Purple for his lack of directional skills. Speaking of Purple-

"Are we there yet? I'm sick of looking at nothing but Space and nebulas."

"Then look at the Irk-forsaken planets, we won't hit the asteroid belt for another five days!"

Purple sat down in the co-pilots seat with a huff and crossed his arms. He pouted at nothing before spinning his seat slowly. Red's left eye twitched rapidly.

He was beginning to question his own sanity as he tried to ignore the one he was trying to make his mate. How the hell he fell for Purple was beyond his range of thought, and he had a wide range of thought despite what everyone else said behind his back.

He stretched his antenna so that the tips almost touched the ceiling of the cruiser and sat back in his chair. This was excruciatingly boring and tedious, just like the last time he flew his own voot cruiser and that was well over 100 years ago, during his invader years. Those were the worst times of his life, being under Tallest Miyuki. He was almost glad that Zim's Perpetual Energy Absorbing Monster had eaten her. Speaking of Zim, the little exile seemed to be acting stranger than usual, he hadn't reported in for four years and seemed unenthused when they commed him in the last 11 months. Almost as if he was starting to despise them.

Red chuckled inwardly at such a thought. An invader like Zim would never hate his Tallers; the thought of it seemed improbable.

"Red, we missed out turn at the Planet of Red Watery Doom five par sects back."

Red ran his palm across his face and sighed deeply.

"And you couldn't tell me this 5 par sects ago why?"

"Well, you looked like you were thinking about something important, so I didn't want to disturb you. Were you thinking about doughnuts? I know I miss them too."

It took all of Red's will power not to open the airlock.

3 Days until the Tallest Arrival

Red looked over at a lightly dozing Purple, taking in all his features before he woke up and started blabbering and whining about how cramped and tired he was, which wasn't understandable since all he had been doing since this trip started was sleep and eat!

Red bit his bottom lip as he realized he wouldn't really mind if he did that anyway, he kind of missed the sound of his voice.

He jumped as one of Purple's antenna twitched and he sneezed lightly. Unconsciously, he turned the climate control bar up slightly to tropical and turned off the fan. The last thing he needed was Purple catching something and being shut down for three days to clear his systems.

Purple's face scrunched up from the blast of heat and he waved his hand as though fending off an invisible force.

"Heat… bad…zzzz."

Red rolled his eyes and turned the climate down a bit and moved the vent so that it wasn't blowing directly over the sensitive Irken next to him.

He gritted his teeth as a tell-tale beep sounded from the control station in front of him.

"Incoming transmission from unknown source. Do you wish to hail them?"

Red stopped his hand before it pressed the answer key. They hadn't received an unknown call since the one from the Massive, and that was the reason they were in this tiny cruiser in the first place. The screen fizzed as the caller hacked through, connecting to the ship. The screen fizzed in and out, not showing a clear picture of the caller as a familiar monotone voice droned through the speakers.

"Hello, my dear Tallest. How are you on this interstellar evening?"

Red narrowed his eyes and snapped at the caller.

"Who are you? State your business!"

The voice laughed deliriously, broken up by the crackling of static from the screen.

"You already know what I want, my Tallest. I want to your PAKs handed to me on the finest golden Plookesian platter. I want your heads planted on posts outside my castles main entrance. It is only a small price to pay for what you have done to my people."

Red growled.

"Who are you?"

He felt the air chill as the creature giggled.

"You'll just have to wait to find out, won't you?"

The screen fizzled out to a black with a sharp click.

"Connection Lost. Unable to track caller at this time."

Red gripped the steering wheel tightly in anger, the white flesh under green translucent skin showing across the joint as the skin was stretched.

"…Red?"

His grip loosened slightly as he twitched an antenna.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

Red sighed heavily, releasing his grip and saying a brief prayer to Shylxia, the conquering goddess.

"I know, Pur, I know."


	3. Tallest Expectations

AN: A lot of questions are asked and answered in this chapter…well, some are answered.

P.S. Dib's a violent mofo isn't he?

Chapter Three: Tallest Expectations

Dib scowled from across the kitchen table at Zim, who was trying his hardest to get a kiss from Dib.

"Come on, Dib-love, one little kiss won't hurt. Is it not in your earthly traditions for two mates to kiss each other at their time of bonding?"

Dib rolled his eyes and put in head in his hand in exasperation.

"That's only if said people are …'mates'. We're not 'mates', Zim, we're partners in a school project meant to show the mentally deficient how to care for children!"

Zim sighed and slammed his head down on the table. He mumbled something into the table that Dib almost couldn't hear.

"…What?"

Zim lifted his head from the table and looked at Dib sadly.

"Could we be?"

Dib looked at Zim in confusion. He had never seen such a hopeless look in the Irken's eyes before. It made him feel…guilty.

_I never thought Zim was actually trying to get my affection, I thought he was just being perverted or toying with me._

"I-I don't know, Zim. I would have to actually know you to decide if I wanted to be with you. Are you serious?"

Zim slapped a hand harshly against the table.

"Of course Zim is serious! Get to know Zim, and maybe even become Zim's mate! We will do dating, and go through the love boat of watery demise ride!"

Dib couldn't help but chuckle at Zim's enthusiasm, maybe going out with him wouldn't be so bad, but one thing was still bothering him.

"Why me?"

"Eh?"

Dib sighed deeply.

"Why'd you choose me? Why not Tak? Or Gaz?"

There was a pause, then the both of shuddered in repulsion.

"Right, never mind, but still."

Zim smiled and leaned forward.

"What better mate is there than someone who is almost you're equal?"

Dib looked at him with a blank face.

_Almost?_

Then he sighed dramatically and leaned back in his chair.

"Alright, Zim, we'll go on one date, but no groping! Or kissing unless I agree, deal?"

By the time he had finished his statement Zim was dancing on the table and singing 'go Zimmy, it's ya birthday, not for real-real, just for play-play!'. He paused mid-step and nodded.

"Zim shall play by your pathetic rules, Dib-squeak!"

He quickly leapt down from his position on the table to the chair he had been sitting on, clutching the egg that had been lying on the table in one tight fist.

_Crrrck_

Apparently too tight.

Dib groaned into his palm for the tenth time that day, already knowing the sticky, yellow mess that awaited him on the floor.

"Zim…you've broken thirteen eggs and maimed one beyond recognition, at this rate you wouldn't last a week past conception!"

Zim huffed indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It is not Zim's fault that earth smeets are so flimsy, with their fragile shells and what not."

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. Just get another egg from the carton…"

Zim duck marched to the refrigerator, mocking Dib all the way by making flopping motions with his fingers. Dib tapped his fingers in agitation against the table.

"I can see you. If you're going to mock someone you should do it behind their back."

Zim waved a hand in dismissal.

"Potato, tomato. It's all the same to Zim."

"…..just get the damn egg, Zim."

Dib rubbed a hand wearily across his face. Besides Zim's weirdness, this week was as normal as he could wish it was. There was no invasion of his personal space by the green alien and it actually gave him a chance to study Zim up close.

In the past six years Zim seemed to have grown into a good height of 5'7'', which made them almost equal in height. Of course with his outward observations came the study of how Zim had changed mentally over the years. It seemed his plans of world conquest had died out, almost as if it didn't take precedence over his daily life. The only thing he could truly say hadn't changed about Zim was his lack of understanding of human phrases, lifestyles, television shows, foods, holidays, holidays…just humans in general. All in all, he was actually quite pleasant to be around. Plus, he could actually get all of his math homework done, thanks to Zim.

Not to say he didn't know his math, but some problems didn't make any sense.

He shook himself and picked up the brown egg that Zim had picked and inspected it for cracks.

"Alright, this time I'll do the designs. It's hard trying to explain whatever you come up with; even though that other girl in class drew antennas on her egg too…and extra arms."

He drew a simple sketch of a cartoon baby face, complete with a single curl of hair at the top of its head. Zim looked at it critically.

"Why does our smeet only have one antenna? Is it defected? IT MUST BE DESTROYED!"

Dib punched him in the face, cutting his rant short.

"It's called hair, you idiot! No more antennas or any other weird shit. I mean it, Zim."

Zim rubbed the bruise on his face, glaring at Dib with no real fire in his eyes. Dib rolled his eyes, knowing that Zim wasn't going to do anything violent towards him. The last time they fought was practically five years ago. He leaned his head on his hand as he thought about it.

"We never fight anymore, what happened to 'I hit you, you try to annihilate me'?"

Zim pounded his fist against his chest, before going into a coughing fit.

"On Irk, the males treat their mates with upmost care. Non-invaders are the only ones able to carry smeets, so we tend to treat them like the tallest themselves."

He jumped on the table (again) and pointed an accusing finger at Dib.

"Unlike you filthy dirt monkeys who like to beat each other senseless and take mates schlooglats without permission! You disgust Zim!"

Dib sighed, making a side note to look up 'schlooglats' in the database later.

"…You've been watching TV again, haven't you?"

"Zim finds it interesting, and GIR is actually learning few things from it as well. So it's a win-win situation."

"Shouldn't you be doing other things, like, planning the destruction of the world or something?"

"Zim has no need to destroy this planet anymore."

Dib flinched at the coldness in Zim's voice and decided to change the subject, for now.

_Looks like I've got some research to do. A lot has changed in these past years._

He idly twirled the egg on his index finger, thinking about the end of this project and finally turning in the egg, telling the teacher to shove it and moving on with his life. Zim watched his movements, eyes glazed to the point where they were almost glassy in appearance.

"Dib, will you really go on a date with me? Will you give Zim a chance?"

The egg stopped twirling.

Dib closed his eyes, thinking about the sincerity he heard in Zim's voice. There was no malice or hint of a trap. Could he really go out with Zim? He swallowed, trying to moisten his dry throat.

"I…really don't know, Zim. How do I know this isn't a trap or that you're going to kill me?"

Zim jumped on the table again, hands on his hips and head up proudly.

"Zim will never betray his Dib-love! Zim has changed!"

He got down on one knee, took Dib's hand in his own and looked him in the eyes.

"Just give me a chance, Dib"

Dib blushed and looked away.

"You don't have to be so dramatic. I guess one date won't hurt."

_What am I getting myself into?_

AN: Yay! OOC ftw! Err-I mean R&R peeps!


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